This invention relates generally to mailing systems and more particularly to a parcel mailing system including a weighing scale adapted to weigh an article and determine the appropriate postage denomination to be affixed to the parcel. The system includes a data steering interface connected between a peripheral controller interface and a plurality of peripheral electronic postage meters each adapted to provide the postage due based on mailing parcels from a different mail distribution point.
A problem encountered by large volume parcel mail users whose business includes distributing parcels to different locations throughout the United States from a single location is to employ the least expensive combination of private carrier such as truck and rail shipment, United Parcel Service (UPS) and the United States Postal Service (USPS). Frequently, the least expensive method involves a multiple carrier "drop shipment" solution whereby a number of parcels are shipped in bulk by truck or rail freight to a central distribution point for deposit for mailing through the USPS parcel service.
For example, a large volume mailer located in New York City having a large number of parcels to be distributed to different addresses within several different postal mailing zones may find it advantageous to bulk ship groups of parcels having addresses within a particular zone to the central distribution point such as Chicago, Los Angeles, etc., for that particular zone for insertion into the USPS system. Accordingly, each parcel of the bulk shipment will require a postage denomination attached to the individual parcels representing the postage value and mail origin indicia based on being mailed from the central zone distribution point to the individual parcel address rather than from the point where the postage is affixed, in this case, New York City. Since the postal rate charts and zip number to zone number conversion charts stored in the mailing system programmable read only memory (PROM) are based on the rates from a single mailing point, multiple mailing systems would be required in the above-noted circumstance. Duplicating the scale and meter mailing system for each distribution point would involve substantial expense. Accordingly, the present invention includes a data steering interface connected to a plurality of individual electronic postage meters, each of which is adapted to provide the postage meter denomination based on mailing from a different zone distribution point. The data steering interface is also connected to a peripheral interface controller which is connected to the postage value determining system processor within the scale.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,308,579 in the name of Daniel F. Dlugos entitled MULTIPROCESSOR PARCEL POSTAGE METERING SYSTEM HAVING SERIAL DATA BUS, issued Dec. 29, 1981 and assigned to the assignee of the present invention, a postage calculating system having a serial communications controller for communications between the system processor and peripheral devices was disclosed. The system included a serial communications bus through which the peripheral devices communicated with the system processor. Some peripherals were interconnected to the serial communications bus by a separate peripheral controller, while a meter setting device was directly linked to the serial communications bus. Appropriate signals were transmitted along an attention line when it was desired to select a peripheral which would receive or transmit via the shared communications bus. Acknowledgement lines were also provided to acknowledge receipt of signals. The serial communications controller comprised an integral part of the main postage calculator system circuit board.
Since the serial controller was an integral part of the main scale system circuit board, a purchaser who only wished to acquire a postage scale and not the peripheral devices or not all of the available peripherals was at a disadvantage. In addition, if a malfunction arose, the serial communications controller and the communications bus were not serviceable as a single unit on a separate board. The sharing of a common communications bus by all peripheral devices made the replacement or substitution of different peripheral devices a formidable task which required reprogramming.
A serial communications system between a postage meter control unit and a plurality of external devices was disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,301,507 in the name of John H. Soderberg et al entitled ELECTRONIC POSTAGE METER HAVING PLURAL COMPUTING SYSTEMS issued Nov. 17, 1981 and assigned to assignee of the present invention. The communications protocol procedure disclosed in the above patent related to the serial transmission of data and bit by bit return of such data to the transmitter for verification. Also disclosed was a system comprising a daisy chain between the plurality of external devices and control unit.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,271,470 entitled SERIAL DATA BUS FOR USE IN A MULTIPROCESSOR PARCEL POSTAGE METERING SYSTEM issued June 2, 1981 in the name of Daniel F. Dlugos et al and assigned to the assignee of the present invention, there is disclosed a mailing system having a scale system processor and subsystem or peripheral processors communicating with peripheral mailing devices. Also disclosed were control routines for transferring data and commands within the system.
In the copending application of Daniel F. Dlugos et al entitled INTERFACE BETWEEN A PROCESSOR SYSTEM AND PERIPHERAL DEVICES USED IN A MAILING SYSTEM, U.S. Ser. No. 235,241 filed Feb. 17, 1981 and assigned to the assignee of the present invention, issued Oct. 18, 1983 as U.S. Pat. No. 4,410,961, there is disclosed a peripheral controller interface board establishing a communications link between a postage value determining system processor associated with a postage scale and a plurality of peripheral devices. The interface includes a controller or microcomputer which receives data and command signals from the system processor. A multiplexer interconnects the peripheral transmit line of the controller with a selected peripheral device, while a further multiplexer interconnects the peripheral receive line of the controller with the selected peripheral device. Typical mailing system peripheral devices include electronic postage meters, an electronic accounting system, a scale computer interface and a printer. In response to command signals from the system processor, the microcomputer establishes a communications link with a selected peripheral device. The capacity of this system is limited as to the number of peripheral electronic postage meters which can be included within the system.